


Girl Talk

by bookwormninja



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Confessions, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Miscommunication, You know what they say about assumptions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:14:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28256010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwormninja/pseuds/bookwormninja
Summary: Aerith was delighted when Tifa outright insisted that the two of them take on a monster hunting mission on their own without Cloud. So why was talking to Tifa like pulling teeth when she was the one who suggested they use this time to take the chance to bond?
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47
Collections: 2020 FF7 Secret Santa





	Girl Talk

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kiden](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiden/gifts).



> Happy Holidays!!! I hope you enjoy, this was super fun to write!

Aerith couldn’t believe her luck when Tifa was the one who suggested that the two of them go on their own little monster hunting mission. She’d been planning to figure out a way to get her alone herself, but it seemed that TIfa had the same idea. Aerith couldn’t help but feel a little rush of joy at the thought.

When they realized they were low on gil, potions, and ethers, Tifa immediately volunteered herself and Aerith to go, shooting down Cloud’s offer to join or do it himself with an enthusiastic claim that it was a perfect opportunity for her and Aerith to engage in some “girl talk”. He couldn’t even use the argument that they would need the extra protection, because he knew well enough that they could take care of themselves and had more than proven that in the scrapes they’d been through lately. 

After realizing that Tifa wasn’t going to budge, Cloud begrudgingly agreed to sit this particular adventure out. Or maybe it was the mention of “girl talk” that made him stop protesting the idea. Or it could be that the Leaf House kids had just asked if he could give them sword lessons so that they could defeat Toad Kings on their own. Despite whatever front Cloud tries to portray, in the end he really can’t ever say no when the children wear him down with their pleading faces. 

Although Tifa mentioned that their girl’s-only mini-mission would prove to be a great time for the two of them to bond, she had yet to engage Aerith in any conversation since they started out. Aerith had caught Tifa’s gaze on her a few times, and each time it looked like she was going to speak only to blush and quickly look away. The set of her jaw was visibly tense and would definitely be uncomfortable by the end of the day, but it seemed that whatever Tifa had wanted to say was not coming out. And so they proceeded in silence, the only sounds coming from the bustle of people around them and the occasional shout of one the children playing nearby. 

This wouldn’t do if Aerith had anything to say about it. So she tried engaging Tifa in conversation in the hopes that she’d become more comfortable to share what was clearly on her mind, and hopefully allow the two of them to get to know each other better. 

“So,” Aerith started, skipping ahead a few paces so that she could watch Tifa’s face as she responded. Once Tifa met her eyes, however briefly, she continued. “I think I remember Cloud mentioning something about you owning a bar over in Sector 7. What’s it like?” Cloud hadn’t mentioned much about Tifa prior to Aerith meeting her, but she’d managed to pull a couple of things from him that she could use to get some conversation going. 

“Yeah I do,” Tifa answered, still not meeting Aerith’s eyes for longer than a split second. But progress was progress, Aerith thought. At least she was speaking to her. “It’s called Seventh Heaven. Most nights are pretty smooth, troublemakers tend to learn pretty quickly that the owner also doubles as the bouncer.” There’s that smile Aerith was hoping for. “And if that doesn’t work I’ve got Cloud, Barret, and the others that are usually itching to throw someone out for any reason.” Aerith mentally pat herself on the back for the short laugh they shared at that. 

“Has Cloud always been so good with kids?” Hopefully talking about Cloud would be neutral enough ground, seeing as he was the reason she and Tifa had even met and all. Not to mention Aerith could sense that the two of them had some kind of history. There had to be some childhood stories there that Aerith could use to learn more about TIfa. “He seems like he tries so hard to come off as rude and cool, but once you get to know him for a little bit you start to learn that he’s just a cute little softy on the inside. A softy with a sword.” Aerith couldn’t help but throw Tifa a wink at that. 

“Ha, yeah that’s one way of putting it,” Tifa siad, looking away from Aerith yet again. This time, Aerith noticed a light blush that colored Tifa’s cheeks just before she turned to hide her face. That was not quite the response Aerith was hoping for, considering how comfortable Tifa had been talking around Cloud earlier in the day when the three of them were in the same vicinity. 

It seemed that just Aerith was the one who brought this weird mood out of Tifa. Just the thought that her presence could have Tifa so on edge and uncomfortable didn’t sit right with Aerith, but she didn’t know how to fix it without knowing exactly what went wrong. 

Despite all of her best efforts, the rest of her attempts at conversation resulted in much of the same- short responses, quick glances, followed by an awkward silence. It became especially awkward whenever she brought up anything involving Cloud. What would have been a short trip to defeat a few monsters felt so much longer with the overhanging tension and stunted conversation.

Once they reached their destination they immediately set to work plowing through the monsters in the area, both too lost in their own thoughts to try to continue any attempts at communication outside of combat. Aerith took the time to think over the events of the day as they made quick work of the monsters they encountered to try to figure out what exactly was going on.

Running through the snippets of conversations she was able to pull out of Tifa, Aerith was by now quite sure it was her that was the problem. There was no other way to explain it. Something about Aerith set Tifa on edge and she’ll be damned if she didn’t get to the bottom of it and fix it. Even if there was a part of her that had hoped for more, Aerith was not the type to let a potential friendship slip through her fingers.

It wasn’t until she’d finished off a particularly feral and energetic wererat that the most likely scenario hit her. Tifa had to be feeling uncomfortable being alone and talking to Aerith because she must be under the impression that she and Aerith were both into Cloud. That was the only explanation she could come up with for why Tifa seemed to shut down when the conversation was about him, and could also be what Tifa had been wanting to bring up during their “girl talk” they hadn’t gotten around to yet. Her plan of using Cloud as common ground between them had certainly backfired, and only reinforced the idea that they were rivals in love. Yikes.

Aerith was so stunned by her revelation that she nearly took a direct attack to the face if not for Tifa’s quick moves. Just as Aerith took notice of the attack Tifa had already positioned herself in front, landing a swift hit that was leagues too overpowered for such a creature right to the monster’s face. It didn’t stand a chance, naturally. 

Aerith was equal parts warmed by the gesture and embarrassed by being so distracted that Tifa had to cover for her, given that Tifa seemed to be in a particularly bad mood from the way she was absolutely demolishing monsters left and right at full force. 

“I think we’ve gathered enough, don’t you think?” Tifa asked, just a touch out of breath. Aerith watched a bead of sweat make its way down the side of Tifa’s face with maybe a bit too much attention as she caught her breath as well. Normally these monsters were no issue, but given how distracted they both seemed to be and the sheer number they had to go through to get the amount of supplies they needed they both were a little bit more worn than usual. 

“I think you’re right,” Aerith agreed, leading the way back and preparing for more awkward tension now that they didn’t have the distraction of monster killing to take her mind off of it. 

Aerith didn’t have the chance to address what she was sure was happening between them before she sensed she noticed something out of place as they made their way back in the slum proper. She had a lot of practice searching through and hiding in crowds from Turks to know when onew was in the vicinity, and she was never wrong. Luckily, it looked like she spotted him before he was able to see her. There was still time to disappear.

“Sorry but we have to hide. Now!” Aerith didn’t wait for Tifa to register what she meant before she grabbed her hand and made to sneak through the people milling around to one of the many hiding places she’d made use of over the years. Thankfully, there must have been something about the sudden movement or urgency in her voice that had Tifa following her lead with no question, tightening her hand around Aerith’s as they maneuvered into a tight alleyway that would hopefully be far enough out of the way that they wouldn't be found. 

It took a few moments for the adrenaline to die down enough for Aerith to notice how small her hiding place was with the addition of another person. She and Tifa were pressed so snuggly together that they were nearly chest to chest, with their still clasped hands between them. Neither of them moved in an effort not to make any unnecessary noise. 

Aerith tried her very best to keep as much distance as possible once she noticed Tifa getting more and more red in the face, but it was impossible to do so without knocking over any precariously stacked odds and ends they were tucked between. Aerith felt her own face heat up at the proximity as well, and she willed her mind to think of anything beside the warmth of Tifa’s hand still in hers or the puffs of her breaths she could feel against her cheek. 

Nearly 15 minutes passed before Aerith felt it safe to move. That, and she felt a cramp in her leg coming on from the stiff way she held herself to avoid touching Tifa as much as possible. The Turk had to have moved on by then. She stepped out of the hiding place to stretch her stiff limbs, and noted that TIfa had yet to move.

“Does that happen often?” TIfa asked, seeming to snap herself out of whatever thoughts she was having to stretch her legs out as well. “Maybe we should have let Cloud come with us, if you’re being chased by someone.” Tifa’s face was full of guilt, as if what happened was her fault.

“Are you kidding? There’s no way the three of us would have been able to hide so easily,” Aerith said. “Can you imagine trying to fit that sword in this little nook? I’m glad it was just us.” Finishing her stretching, she began to lead Tifa out of the alley and back into the main streets with a cheery smile. “But yeah, stuff like that happens pretty often, but I know all the best hiding places, so don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe!” 

“Well, I guess I’m in your care until we get back then,” Tifa said, finally smiling again. Aerith was glad that the awkward tension that was between them had finally been broken, even if it was only because of potential danger. She’ll take what she could get. 

“Hey,” Aerith started as they made their way at a leisurely pace now that their mission was fulfilled and there was no longer any danger around. “Wanna grab a bite to eat before we head back? I don't know about you but I’m starving!” Aerith pointed to a small restaurant she knew to have great food and semi-okay drinks. 

“I don’t see why not. I think we collected enough gil to cover it and the supplies we need,” Tifa agreed, following Aerith into the establishment. 

The food was great just as Aerith remembered, and thankfully the comfortable conversation she and Tifa had been able to finally establish kept flowing as they ordered a few drinks as well. They watched the people around them filter in and out of the restaurant, and the children patrolling the sector with their hand made wooden swords and shared easy laughs. 

As the sky began to darken, Aerith couldn’t help but wonder why it was so easy to talk to now compared to earlier. What would happen after they regrouped? Would she and TIfa go back to not being able to talk to each other without Cloud around? That sounded so tedious, when it was just so easy now. She just had to get to the bottom of what was going on earlier before she could rest. 

“You know,” Aerith said, toying with a fry on her plate. “We never did get to the ‘girl talk’ part of the mission.” At the mention of the excuse she used to keep Cloud from joining, Tifa blushed and seemed to focus on the fry Aerith was now pointing at her. 

“Oh, right.” Tifa blushed harder as she collected her thoughts. Aerith watched as she ran a finger around the rim of her glass, obviously getting nervous and at a loss for words again. 

“I’ll start.” Aerith was eager to clear the air between them as quickly as possible. “I have a crush” –Tifa’s face immediately fell, so she hurried to finish her sentence– “but it’s not on Cloud so you have no need to worry about me getting in your way.” There. Hopefully that cleared things up enough so that Tifa would no longer see her as a threat but as a supportive friend. Tifa sat for a few seconds blinking as she processed the information. Then she began to laugh softly, much to Aerith’s confusion. 

“I don’t have a crush on Cloud either!” Tifa said, once she stopped laughing. Now Aerith was even more confused. She had been so sure that was the issue. “I thought you did because of how you were talking about him earlier. Now I feel silly for assuming.” Aerith sat in shock as she thought of what to say.

“I didn’t know what else to talk about and you seemed so uncomfortable around me. I kinda thought you hated me for a while there,” Aerith admitted nervously. Now that her theory was out, she had no idea what to expect from the conversation anymore. 

“Hate you?” For some reason, Tifa sounded like that was the most ridiculous thing Aerith had ever said. “I don’t hate you! It’s actually the opposite.” After her admission, Tifa turned more red than Aerith had seen her turn so far. The blush extended to the tips of her ears, and she began to run her fingers through her hair as she avoided making direct eye contact. “I wanted to get you alone so that I could tell you that I liked you but I couldn’t find the right words, and then I started to think you liked Cloud so I kinda gave up on the whole idea.”

Aerith sat in stunned silence for all of 3 seconds before breaking into the widest smile, placing her hands over Tifa’s to get her to look back up.

“Well isn’t that the best coincidence,” Aerith said. She could feel the most elated giggle threaten to break the surface, but she tried her hardest to contain it as she looked into Tifa’s eyes. “Because I like you too.” The sheer relief Aerith could see bloom across Tifa’s face was all Aerith needed to forget about the stress of the day. She gave Tifa’s hands a light squeeze for good measure before letting go and giggling happily. 

“Well now I feel silly,” Tifa said before joining with a short laugh of her own. Aerith couldn't help but think how much she’d love to keep hearing that laugh all day. “I definitely wasted a lot of our time together living in my own head.” She looked apologetic as she went about stealing a forgotten fry from Aerith’s plate. Aerith pretended to be offended, but pushed her plate closer to Tifa so she could have more if she liked. 

“Well we have plenty of time now!” Aerith made to get up to get them another round of drinks and maybe some more fries to replace the ones Tifa was now fully digging into before she was stopped by Tifa.

“What about Cloud? We should probably be heading back soon.” Tifa looked like she wanted to do the exact opposite, though. Aerith laughed outright.

“Cloud’s a big boy with a sword. He’ll be fine without us for a little longer.” There was that smile again. The one Aerith absolutely would do anything for. She practically skipped to get their refills so she could make it back to their table as fast as possible.

Yeah, Cloud would be okay without them. They still hadn’t had the chance to have some proper “girl talk” anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone who wanted to know the full prompt: Aerith and Tifa go off on their own for a mission (supplies/materia/training, whatever). It's the first time they are spending time together without Cloud and it's super awkward. Aerith assumes it's because of Tifa's feelings for Cloud, and seeing Aerith as competition, but after a close call with some monsters (or the turks?) Tifa admits it's because she has feelings for Aerith~


End file.
